Written Answers Thursday 28 July 2005

Scottish Executive

Cancer

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many, and what percentage of, patients with suspected cancer saw an NHS consultant within two weeks of referral in each of the last seven years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is not available centrally.

  The relevant cancer waiting times target that has been set in Scotland covers the whole patient pathway from urgent referral to treatment. The target is that by the end of 2005 the maximum wait from urgent referral to treatment for all cancers will be two months. Performance data for breast, colorectal, lung and ovarian cancers is available from www.scotland.gov.uk.

Council Tax

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of pensioner households have paid more than (a) 5, (b) 10 and (c) 15 per cent of their gross income on council tax in each year since 1999.

Malcolm Chisholm: The following table presents estimates from the Family Resource Survey.

  Estimates of Proportion of Pensioner Households who have Paid More than Five, 10 and 15 per cent of their Gross Income on Council Tax between 1999-2000 to 2003-04 (Percentage)

  

 
 1999-2000
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03
 2003-04


 Proportion of pensioners paid more than 5%
 49
 52
 51
 58
 57


 Proportion of pensioners paid more than 10%
 13
 14
 12
 18
 17


 Proportion of pensioners paid more than 15%
 4
 4
 4
 6
 5



  Source: Family Resource Survey.

  Note: The figures given are estimates based on a sample survey and are therefore subject to sampling variation. As such, small percentage changes are not statistically significant when considered on a year-on-year basis. A pensioner household is defined as either one pensioner living alone or a couple where at least one is a pensioner and the household does not contain any children.

  We fully support the work of the Department of Work and Pensions to increase the take-up of benefits amongst pensioner households in Scotland and we are working with the UK Government to tackle pensioner poverty in a range of ways. We have also established an independent review of local government finance to undertake a thorough and comprehensive review of the local taxation system.

Council Tax

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) total cost of appeals against council tax banding has been in each year since 1999.

Mr Tom McCabe: This information is not held centrally.

G8 Summit

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide a list of all the costs that it has incurred in relation to the G8 summit at Gleneagles.

Mr Tom McCabe: Final estimates of the costs of the G8 summit are not yet available. Information will be published later in the year.

G8 Summit

Roseanna Cunningham (Perth) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on what the (a) total cost and (b) cost to it was of hosting the G8 summit, broken down into costs incurred (i) prior to, (ii) during and (iii) after the summit.

Mr Tom McCabe: Final estimates of the costs of the G8 summit are not yet available. Information will be published later in the year.

General Practitioners

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the long-term plan is for increasing the number of funded GP training places in the NHS.

Mr Andy Kerr: Long-term planning for the number of GP training places is part of wider workforce planning arrangements. NHS Education for Scotland is allocated funds from the Scottish Executive to provide training for GP registrars (GPRs) and other medical training. The number of funded places for GPRs is currently at 280 following a recent uplift from 250.

  New specialist training programmes for general practice will be introduced as part of the Modernising Medical Careers training reforms. Work is underway across the UK to assess, develop and put these programmes in place and that includes consideration in Scotland of the number and distribution of opportunities that will be made available for the new GP training programme.

Land

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are available to provide communities in (a) rural and (b) urban areas with the right to buy (i) land and (ii) properties on a compulsory, or any other, basis.

Ross Finnie: The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, Part 3 provides for a crofting community right to buy eligible croft land at any time, subject only to ministerial approval of an application by a crofting community body to use the right to buy (i.e. on a compulsory basis).

  Part 2 of that act allows rural community bodies to register an interest in rural land (defined, for the purposes of the Community Right to Buy, as land other than excluded settlements of over 10,000 population) and the right to buy that land when it comes to be sold. This is a pre-emptive right to buy.

  These rights relate to the acquisition of land and any property or property right that is considered to be part of the land asset such as buildings. There is no right to buy moveable property or most types of tenancy.

  Forestry Commission Scotland’s National Forest Land Scheme gives communities the opportunity to buy any part of the national forest estate, even though the land has not come up for sale, so long as they can satisfy the eight criteria of the scheme.

  The National Forest Land Scheme also provides for the commission to sell national forest land for affordable housing to housing associations and trusts, and for "sponsored" land sales, where communities will have the first opportunity to buy surplus national forest land that the commission proposes to sell.

  The scheme builds on the Right to Buy principles enshrined in the Land Reform Act, but goes a step further by enabling communities to initiate discussions where national forest land is not actually up for sale.

  The National Forest Land Scheme Guidance can be found at www.forestry.gov.uk/nfls

  The Transfer of Crofting Estates (Scotland) Act 1997 enables the transfer of Scottish ministers’ crofting estates to crofting trusts. Any interests in mineral, sporting or other rights relating to these estates may also be transferred. The act allows the disposal of crofting property only to organisations which are considered properly representative of relevant crofting estates and which have the promotion of the interests of the persons residing on the estate as their primary objective. Before agreeing to disposal the Scottish ministers must first consult the Crofters Commission.

  Under the act, financial assistance can be provided by Scottish ministers towards the start up costs of a body to whom crofting property is being transferred and for the legal expenses of the transfer. Any rights of pre-emption are extinguished under the act which allows those affected by this to submit a claim for compensation within a specified period with a right of appeal by the claimant to the Scottish Land Court.

  The definition of rural land used for Community Right to Buy purposes (and the Community Acquisition provisions of the National Forest Land Scheme) means that the areas covered by those schemes extend beyond the Executive’s core definition of rural areas. There are however no specific schemes to provide for community purchase of land and property currently excluded by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

Local Government Finance

Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-16970 by Mr Tom McCabe on 10 June 2005, whether it will make an advance payment to public authorities in the Western Isles to enable storm damage repairs and renewals to commence during this summer.

Mr Tom McCabe: I announced on 28 July 2005 that Comhairle nan Eilean Siar will receive initial funding of £5 million from the Executive. This funding will enable continued work on repairs and improvements to the roads’ infrastructure and reimburse the Comhairle for the repair costs it incurred in the immediate aftermath of the storm. It will also allow the Comhairle to purchase a new mobile command vehicle and mobile communication equipment, which the Comhairle has identified as a priority area for its emergency planning. A further announcement, in connection with support for the rebuilding of Balivanich Primary School, will be made in due course.

NHS 24

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints have been made by members of the public regarding the service they have received from NHS 24 and how many such complaints were upheld.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is available for 2003-04 and 2004-05 and is set out in this table:

  

 Year
 Complaints Received
 Upheld
 Partially Upheld
 Not Upheld


 2003-04
 88
 27 (31%)
 11 (12%)
 50 (57%)


 2004-05
 378
 176 (46%)
 59 (16%)
 143 (38%)



  The number of complaints received may be considered against the numbers of calls answered by NHS 24 - 615,073 calls in 2003-04 and 1,278,224 calls in 2004-05.

  It should also be recognised that NHS 24 did not roll out to the whole of Scotland until November 2004. The number of complaints received may be expected to increase again in 2005-06 as that will be the first full year of operation across the country.

NHS 24

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average call back time for NHS 24 has been in each month since the service was established.

Mr Andy Kerr: At all times, clinically urgent calls are dealt with immediately by NHS 24 nurse advisers. During peak times, less clinically urgent calls are prioritised and the service endeavours to achieve call back by a nurse adviser within specified target times - 60 minutes for Priority 1 calls and 120 minutes for Priority 2 calls. The NHS 24 service began rolling out across Scotland in May 2002 and was completed in November 2004. The table shows the average call back time each month since May 2002 and the Scottish population covered by NHS 24 in each of those months.

  

 Month
 Average Time to Call Back (minutes)
 NHS 24 Population Coverage


 May 2002
 8
 438,000


 June 2002
 5
 438,000


 July 2002
 2
 438,000


 August 2002
 2
 438,000


 September 2002
 2
 438,000


 October 2002
 3
 438,000


 November 2002
 24
 1,525,000


 December 2002
 22
 1,525,000


 January 2003
 7
 1,525,000


 February 2003
 5
 1,525,000


 March 2003
 9
 1,525,000


 April 2003
 10
 1,525,000


 May 2003
 27
 1,967,000


 June 2003
 29
 1,967,000


 July 2003
 40
 1,967,000


 August 2003
 23
 2,017,000


 September 2003
 27
 2,366,000


 October 2003
 33
 2,366,000


 November 2003
 41
 2,512,000


 December 2003
 46
 2,569,000


 January 2004
 55
 2,581,000


 February 2004
 20
 2,581,000


 March 2004
 26
 2,581,000


 April 2004
 26
 2,693,000


 May 2004
 28
 2,845,000


 June 2004
 29
 3,042,000


 July 2004
 38
 3,432,000


 August 2004
 53
 3,718,000


 September 2004
 28
 4,321,000


 October 2004
 47
 5,180,000


 November 2004
 44
 5,199,000


 December 2004
 52
 5,199,000


 January 2005
 42
 5,199,000


 February 2005
 58
 5,199,000


 March 2005
 68
 5,199,000


 April 2005
 47
 5,199,000


 May 2005
 49
 5,199,000

NHS Waiting Times

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting times for accident and emergency cases in hospitals have been in each year since 1995.

Mr Andy Kerr: Between 1994 and 2002, information on waiting times at accident and emergency (A&E) departments was recorded centrally via a series of annual week-long surveys. The survey was reduced to three days duration in 2003 to minimise the workload of busy A&E departments, as many departments completed the survey manually. The surveys specifically measured the waiting times from arrival in A&E to: time to triage; time to be seen by a doctor, and time to completion of treatment.

  The surveys in November 1995, June 1996 and April 2002 were undertaken during a seven-day period specifically identified by the Health Department. The surveys in the years 1997,1999, 2000 and 2001 were undertaken during a four week period identified by the Health Department with each hospital deciding on the specific seven-day period of the survey. No survey was undertaken during 1998. The three-day survey period for 2003 and 2004 were set by the Health Department. Due to changes in the timing and duration of the surveys caution needs to be taken in comparing year on year results.

  The table below provides information on the average number of A&E attendances per survey day, the percentage change in the average A&E attendances per survey day, the median wait from arrival to completion of treatment and the percentage of patients who completed their treatment within four hours from arrival at A&E.

  Fair to All, Personal to Each published in December 200four, includes a commitment that from the end of 2007, patients will wait no longer than four hours between arriving at A&E and admission, transfer or discharge. The 2005 survey will record the total patient journey from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge consistent with the four hour commitment, the results of which will be published by ISD Scotland on their website on 25 August 2005.

  NHSScotland: The Average A&E Attendances Per Survey Day, The Percentage Change in the Average A&E Attendances Per Survey Day, the Median Wait from Arrival to Completion of Treatment and the Percentage of Patients Who Completed Their Treatment Within Four Hours From Arrival At A&E

  

Survey Date
 Average A&E Attendances per Survey Day
PercentageChange in Average A&E Attendances per Survey Day
MedianWait from Arrival to Completion of Treatment (Mins)
 Percentage of Patients who Completed Their Treatment within Four Hours of Arrival


 Nov 19951
 2,828
 -
 60 
 97.8%


 Jun 19961
 3,327
 + 17.6%
 59 
 98.6%



  Note: 1. Survey undertaken during a seven-day period identified by the Health Department.

  

 Survey Date
 Average A&E Attendances per Survey Day
PercentageChange in Average A&E Attendances per Survey Day
MedianWait from Arrival to Completion of Treatment (Mins)
 Percentage of Patients who Completed Their Treatment within Four Hours of Arrival


 March 972
 3,063
 - 7.9%
 61
 98.2%


 Nov 19972
 2,767
 - 9.7%
 57 
 98.7%


March/April 19992
3,007
+ 8.7%
67 
98.0%


 April 20002
 3,263
 + 8.5%
 74 
 96.8%


 April 20012
 3,476
 + 6.5%
 84 
 95.2%



  Note: 2. Survey undertaken during a four-week period identified by the Health Department with individual hospital deciding on the specific seven-day period of the survey.

  

 Survey Date
 Average A&E Attendances per Survey Day
PercentageChange in Average A&E Attendances per Survey Day
MedianWait from Arrival to Completion of Treatment (Mins)
 Percentage of Patients who Completed Their Treatment within Four Hours of Arrival


 April 20021
 3,485
 + 0.2%
 88 
 95.2%



  Note: 1. Survey undertaken during a seven-day period identified by the Health Department

  

 Survey Date
 Average A&E Attendances per Survey Day
PercentageChange in Average A&E Attendances per Survey Day
MedianWait from Arrival to Completion of Treatment (Mins)
 Percentage of Patients who Completed Their Treatment within Four Hours of Arrival


 April 20033
 3,374
 -3.2%
 84
 94.8%


 April 20043
 3,680
 + 9.1%
 99 
 92.5%



  Note: 3. Survey undertaken during a three-day period identified by the Health Department.

Non-Domestic Rates

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful appeals against non-domestic rates levels have been made in each year since 1999.

Mr Tom McCabe: No information is held centrally on how many individual appeals were wholly or partly successful.

Non-Domestic Rates

Alasdair Morgan (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the (a) average and (b) total cost of appeals against non-domestic rates has been in each year since 1999.

Mr Tom McCabe: The amounts of non-domestic rates expected to be repayable by councils (mainly as a result of appeals) in the years 1999-2000 to 2005-06 are shown in the table below.

  

 Year
Amount (£ Million)


 1999-2000
 52.115


 2000-01
 59.691


 2001-02
 50.321


 2002-03
 62.131


 2003-04
 82.273


 2004-05
 21.420


 2005-06
 22.998



  Note: The figures given are taken from returns submitted to the Executive by councils, rounded to the nearest £ thousand. Figures between 1999-2004 are from audited returns. 2004-05 figures are mid-year estimates. 2005-06 figures are provisional estimates.

Public Private Partnerships

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many PFI or PPP contracts have been subject to bidding competition for the funding embedded within them in each year since 1999.

Mr Tom McCabe: Since 1999, in all PPP/PFI procurements in Scotland competitively priced funding arrangements have been proposed by bidders. There has been no separate funding competition instigated by the public sector.

Public Private Partnerships

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is in relation to the use of separate bidding competitions for funding embedded within PFI and PPP contracts.

Mr Tom McCabe: The Scottish Executive keeps procurement mechanisms such as funding competitions under review when considering appropriate delivery arrangements. Currently there is healthy competition in Scotland in the PPP funding market, with several bond providers adding to bank lenders and equity players. The cost of PPP funding has come down since early projects. A separate funding competition organised by the client public sector authority could add considerably to the time and cost involved in the procurement.

Public Sector

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the conventions are in respect of consultation with the (a) First Minister, (b) Scottish Executive, (c) leaders of opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament and (d) Scottish Parliament on the appointment of Civil Service Commissioners.

Mr Tom McCabe: All Civil Service Commissioners are recruited on merit after open advertisement and appointed directly by the Crown under Royal Prerogative. Concordat arrangements require the Cabinet Office to consult the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales about the appointments of Civil Service Commissioners. The Concordat does not make reference to consultation with the Scottish Parliament or leaders of opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.

Scottish Executive Staff

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it monitors any pregnancy discrimination in its departments.

Mr Tom McCabe: It is the Scottish Executive’s policy to ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, that all staff have equality of opportunity in their terms and conditions and are able to work in an environment free from discrimination, harassment, victimisation, and/or bullying.

  The Scottish Executive has procedures in place for the monitoring of any formal complaint of discrimination under its Dignity at Work policy. This policy, which is currently under review, will in future have provision for informal and formal resolution and recording of any discrimination issues.

Voluntary Organisations

Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what Scotland’s share will be of the budget allocation for implementing the Russell Commission’s recommendations and whether all of this sum will be used to support volunteering and voluntary organisations in Scotland.

Malcolm Chisholm: The increase to the Scottish Budget as a result of the allocations announced by the Chancellor in Budget 2005 for the implementation of the Russell Commission's recommendations are as follows: £0.855 million in 2005-06; £2.564 million in 2006-07, and £6.36 million in 2007-08. It will be for Scottish ministers to determine the use of these resources in due course.